Final Fantasy Dimensia 3
by Dimitri61
Summary: The Terran responsible for changing the world after Zidane and Kuja has been long forgotten again, 1000 years later. The people look for a hero, but he is not to be found. One woman who idolizes his entity is about to discover that he should have died.


Exactly 1,000 years ago, a great warrior named Dimitri brought peace to the tumultuous planet of Gaia. He himself was actually a Terran, a race from the now forsaken planet Terra which was destroyed. Dimitri was the greatest of Terrans and was soon awash with battle as most Terrans were. He was the messiah for the Terrans, but they were all exterminated by another Terran.

The struggle for Gaia was soon dubbed the "Battle at History's end" and the main figure was Dimitri, who faced Kuja, now known as the "Instigator." Kuja destroyed Terra and its people. Dimitri, Zidane, and Mikoto were the last Terrans left alive. Dimitri and his lover Mikoto joined Zidane after Zidane had defeated Kuja and fought Necron. Kuja returned and Necron simply disappeared.

Dimitri was unstable and was filled with many memories that were not his. He had a dark side that is now known as "the other" that was very blood thirsty and killed many. Dimitri and his companions fought Kuja to a bloody end, including the Yggdrasyl Incident. Kuja killed Zidane and Mikoto, driving Dimitri into a rage. Kuja was slain without mercy by the demon inside Dimitri.

In the process, Dimitri took another lover. He came to be with Queen Garnet of the Great Lost Kingdom of Alexandria. He served her well until her death 50 years later. Dimitri could no longer stay in his beloved kingdom, so he left and was never to be seen again. Many believe he died long after of a broken heart.

Since Dimitri left the civilized world, the world fell into despair again as the great kingdoms waged war on each other. Alexandria fell 500 years ago to Lindblum while the Lost Continent and the Forgotten Continent were claimed by the magic users of Esto Gaza. The Outer Continent was soon besieged by both Esto Gaza and Lindblum. The two rival countries were soon depleted by fighting each other and came to terms in a ceasefire. No aggressions and everything stayed as it was.

The world shifted uneasily holding this very fragile peace. It yearned for a warrior that could set everything straight. Every educated person in any country knew of Dimitri and his deeds of heroism. It was him that they cried out for in the same breath that they called out against the inhumane world around them. They would be disappointed to find that not everything comes as you wish it to be. He was dead, right?

The gray sky showed evil intentions as the Lindblum patrol came to the raised plateau roaring above the ocean that once held a beautiful city known as Daggureo. The airship touched down and seven soldiers disembarked. They held swords at the ready as they swept the area. There was no sign of any struggle or for that matter, no sign of anything except a dry lake by a pile of rocks.

"There isn't anything here." The sergeant of the group sheathed his sword. "After getting the report of fourteen soldiers being slaughtered here, I suspected a damn ambush by the cursed magic casters. Let's go."

The group moved toward the airship but found something in their way. It was a large man with silver hair; his head bowed and he had a very large sword on his back while he had a smaller one in his hand. His head raised and showed the soldiers his truly blood red eyes.

"What the hell—?" A soldier exhaled. The demonic looking man beheaded the closest person and glared at the others.

"KILL HIM!!" The sergeant cried right before the enemy ripped his throat out with his bare hand. The other five still standing rushed to their deaths as the man made quick work of them.

The man sheathed his sword, his crimson eyes studying the gory corpses. He carried the bodies to a hole he had dug and threw them in. In the pit, he had thrown over ten thousand bodies. He noticed the hole was nearly full and looked down at the Lindblum soldiers and Esto Gaza magic casters, even some neutral parties, but they were all the same…dead.

"No one will desecrate my Haven!!" The man bellowed in a deep voice into the face of the wind.

"Not only was Dimitri a gladiator, he was the most brilliant philosopher and scholar this world has ever seen." The instructor said sternly to his class. He was to train them in combat and philosophy, academics, etc. Dimitri was the greatest man in history in all of these categories. "He quoted scripture on a daily basis. Every man has a creed and lives by it. Dimitri the Great had many. By studying these aspects, you will come as close as possible to understanding your enemies on the battlefield."

Riel watched her old instructor from behind double-sided glass. Riel was a chief general of the Lindblum army. She was five foot four inches with a strict demeanor. She ignored wearing the required uniform and wore all black over her shapely body. She had very long black hair that blended in with her outfit and long black cloak. She was strong in her own right and was the most intelligent in Lindblum's recorded history. She had the latent hidden ability to cast magic but she did not know where she acquired it.

Riel stepped into the classroom with the would-be soldiers watching her, noting the lusty looks from some of the males in the group.

"Didn't Dimitri make the entire Burmecian race extinct and make the southern half of the Forgotten Continent uninhabitable?" Riel smiled at her former teacher. He balked slightly and remained speechless. "As you see students, Dimitri was not so great. He may have held many accomplishments to his name, but his kill summary runs longer than Lindblum's entire enlistment count. Think about it, more than 1.3 million people lost their lives at his hands."

"He was still a great man." The instructor finally recovered his speech. "Besides, his death was never recorded."

"So he may still be out there killing more people." Riel smirked and enjoyed frustrating the elderly man. She was about to say more when a well groomed colonel poked his head in the door.

"We have a situation, ma'am." He ignored the students and instructor.

"Well pardon me, class." Riel said returning to her cold self. She walked in front of the colonel as he explained the problem. "What is it?"

"Well ma'am, we don't know. We have lost all seven airships patrolling the western ocean around the old plateau of Daggureo. Our connections inside Esto Gaza territory say that they have lost over two hundred of their ranks in the same area. The Regent wanted to speak with you about it." The colonel tried to keep pace with Riel as she came to the Regent's office. "He's inside waiting for you."

She swung open the doors and marched into the office. Regent Cid XXVIII stood angrily over a map on a large table.

"About time." Cid snorted. "The western hemisphere is your priority. How the hell did you not know about this?"

"Sir, the incidents have all been in the last fourteen hours, we just now got the word ourselves." Riel defended herself from the wrath of their ruler.

"There have been over five hundred missing along with our airships for fourteen God damn hours!!" Cid exclaimed. "I can not have this happen while we have our eyes on Esto Gaza; it could be them doing this."

Riel stood at attention while Cid brooded. No one could predict the behavior of the Regent.

"Take ten airships with 120 men each and go to the plateau. Find out what the hell is going on and take care of it. Bring back my men and airships if possible." Cid seemed to have calmed down. Riel turned on her heel and strode from the room.

Preparations were made and Riel commanded the armada of airships over the oceans. Every soldier was to follow her every order. It was how it was ever since she had joined the Lindblum Army to fight for her country. She was ready to lay her life on the line to protect her people.

Riel lay on her bed in her quarters with her eyes closed and a book in her hand. The book was the only book she had ever enjoyed reading. She sat up and opened the book which was worn from being read hundreds of times.

"Hmm, 'To Forsake Flawlessness'…" Riel began reading the book again. It was written by a man who chronicled all of Dimitri the Great's experiences. She absorbed already memorized information about Dimitri. She knew all that there was to know about the god among men. She admired him in the fact that he was actually the most human person in all of existence. "What this world wouldn't give for another Dimitri…"

She read over half of the tome and fell asleep, which was hard to come by for her. She had never had dreams in her life, and preferred to keep it that way. She did all of her thinking while she was awake.

A private woke her carefully and alerted her that they were above the plateau. She slipped the book into her pocket and got to her feet. She watched from the control room as all ten ships unloaded their soldiers into the waist high grass.

"Have the men search EVERYTHING." Riel examined the area from the air. "Keep all airships off the ground, but circle for full vision and support. Once you drop me off, start a slow circle."

Riel adjusted her black gloves and collar. She stepped out onto the ground and immediately felt the death in the air. Countless people died here. Riel's hand instinctively settled on her own personal weapon, her jagged edged sword known as Sertei. She was deadly with it.

She watched the airship rise up and began circling them with the other nine ships. Her gaze fell to the soldiers who were scouring the area. Not much here to find.

"Ma'am, over here!" She heard a cry from the dry lake bed. She rushed over to where several had gathered around a hole. In it were thousands of bodies. "I don't know what happened…"

"Who could have done this…?" Riel looked the corpses over and grimaced at the thought that someone could just do this. It reminded her of something but she couldn't think of it at the moment. A sudden silence surrounded her as she pondered. She snapped out of her daze and looked around. Her men were slowly disappearing.

She ran to the grass and her blood ran cold. There was a large silver-haired man slaughtering her soldiers. They were going down in groups of ten or twenty in single swings of his sword. She drew her Sertei and charged toward the man. She got to him just as the last soldier had been struck down.

"You Bastard!" Riel struck swiftly but found no openings. The man glared into her eyes with his crimson irises. She put her fist into the blind spot of her sword and connected with his jaw. She heard a snap and let the man fall. "You will pay with your life hundreds of times for your killing of my soldiers."

**"Will I? I don't think you can kill me."** The man stood up with a bruised jaw. **"That was still a nice move. I always admire ones with strength and intelligence."**

"I will put you down permanently." Riel attacked again but the man disarmed her with a single swipe with his bare hand against the serrated edge of her sword. The force of his blow against hers shook her body to the core, making her drop her sword. She looked at her hands, which were bleeding where her sword was. "Who… are you…?"

**"You would never believe me." **The man brought the hilt of his sword down on her head, causing her to black out.

Riel opened her eyes painfully and checked her surroundings. Her arms were tied behind her back with what felt like heavy chains, while the same chain was tied around her ankles. She was leaning against a rock face that was right next to the pit filled with bodies. She noticed fresh bodies that had been added. She looked to the sky for the airships but instead saw the airships in flames on the grass.

"God damn it…" Riel whispered.

**"God is not going to save you." **The man said from above. He was sitting on the edge of the cliff a few feet above her head with his legs crossed and eyes closed. **"The God I know is not so benevolent. You have much to learn from this hell hole you call a life."**

"What the hell are you? Why have you killed so many people?" Riel struggled against the chains.

**"What I am does not matter. I killed them because they have treaded in my Haven." **The man jumped down from his sitting position and pushed her hard against the wall. **"And struggling makes me angry. I spared your life because I believe you have some potential."**

"You shouldn't have bothered. But even so, Regent Cid XXVII will send more to find out what has happened." Riel said as the man let go of her. "He will send many soldiers."

**"Then I will dig a deeper hole for the corpses." **The man smiled evilly and pulled Riel's book from his black pants pocket. He tossed it to her and it landed at her side. **"You read some strange things. Dimitri the Great? Sure, he was a murderer but mankind is made of optimists. Only remembering the good things can get you killed. You forget the fear of the bad things. The author of that book was only looking for profit and recognition. He never knew the man."**

Riel listened to the ominous words and didn't fully comprehend them. The man thought too deeply.

"What do you know of mankind? You are just a monster." She bit him with her words. He turned slowly and looked at her maliciously.

The man grabbed Riel and pushed her to the ground on her back. He held her down as she fought back.

**"A monster would stoop so low as to take advantage of you due to your current situation, and there is nothing I despise more." **The man let go and stood up. He looked around at the burning wreckage. His eyes seemed to carry a lot of weight behind them. **"Trust me, I knew a monster…"**

Riel did not wish to push this man. She let the subject drop and remained silent in contemplation. The man settled across from her on the ground and returned to his meditative state.

**"Tell me, why did this war begin?" **The man asked calmly.

"Well… I'm not really sure…" Riel admitted, not sure why he would care. "I think it was a blood feud between brothers. One was in control of Lindblum and the other was king of Alexandria. Their fight lasted for about thirty years, with Regent Cid XIX the victor over his brother, Damascus. That was over 500 years ago."

**"It must have been a very gruesome conflict… Lindblum would never turn against Alexandria unless something very bad happened." **Riel detected untold wisdom from his sage-like speech. **"The blood ran deep between the kingdoms. Cid IV was a very wise leader, he must have seen it coming. Please, continue."**

"Esto Gaza got involved after Lindblum tried to claim the continents of the western hemisphere. They used their magic abilities to drive Lindblum's armies away. It was about seventy-five years after Alexandria fell." Riel remembered her country's proud history. She studied the man before her with a watchful eye. "We have been warring with Esto Gaza since then, except we signed ceasefire years ago. Both sides are preparing for another bloody war. Why would you care what happens?"

**"I don't, but I just wanted to know what was going on out there. I have been gone a long time." **The man smiled and opened his eyes. She was taken aback at how they were no longer crimson. They changed to an emerald color. "As long as no one comes to my Haven, I don't care."

"Just exactly who are you?" Riel had a feeling of uncertainty. The man stood and turned her around. He took the chains from her wrists and ankles. He then took her book from the ground and looked at it with respect.

Riel rubbed her wrists, waiting for what he was going to do next. He ripped the book into many pieces and threw the shreds into the wind.

"The book is incorrect." The man said before Riel could protest. The man removed his tattered black cloak adorned with a gold cross to reveal his bare back and chest. There were so many scars that he had no actual skin left, just scar tissue.

Riel gasped as she remembered word from the book. "He was a man covered in scars, physically and mentally" was the first line in the book. Across the man's shoulders was a string of words… the ones from the book!

"You can't be…" Riel focused on the man. Standing before her was the legendary Dimitri!! He walked over to her and stood in front of her. "…Dimitri…"

"A mere shell of what I used to be…" Dimitri patted her head gently. "I have lived over a thousand years due to the lives I have taken. I have tried to take my own life hundreds of times, but the spirits will not let me die."

"Why have you been hiding all of this time? You could have stopped all of these things before they happened." Riel couldn't figure why Dimitri didn't lead the people to peace again. "You could—!"

"No, this world is better off without my influence." Dimitri cut Riel off. "My demons do not need to be unleashed on the world again. It will not happen."

"Then why do you stay here and kill innocent people that could be bringing peace about?!" Riel grew angry at his actions.

"You want to talk about innocence? You have never known the meaning of this double-edged word. Those soldiers were never innocent! They took the lives of their enemy, but does that make them any better than that which you are fighting?!" Dimitri countered her outburst, causing her to step back. "There is no such thing as innocence for a human. A newborn can not achieve innocence because it must force its mother to work for it, causing stress and trauma!! A leader will never know innocence because they decide who lives and dies!! That is not for someone to decide!! These lessons are hard learned and you will understand!"

Dimitri pulled his sword from his waist and his eyes returned to its crimson color. He lashed out and caught her in the side. He brought his sword around again and plunged it down into her shoulder. He removed his sword and sheathed it. He caught her before she could fall to the ground.

"Please forgive me, the demon bleeds through a lot now. I have no way to control it." Dimitri returned to his docile state and immediately began tending to her wounds.

Riel stared into his eyes and finally saw what Dimitri was looking for. Dimitri wanted nothing more than ascension. She breathed heavily as Dimitri patched up her body and asked for forgiveness. The weight of all that he had been through had driven him away from the world. There had to be some way his soul could be freed while he saved the world at the same time.

Soon, Riel's inner magic cured her wounds and she got up from the ground. She knew that Dimitri was very unstable now so she would have to be really careful with her actions around him.

Dimitri came to her and checked her shoulder and side. He nodded in approval and replaced her black leather jacket over her torn black sleeveless shirt.

"Dimitri, how will you find your forgiveness?" She looked up at him.

"At this rate, I won't." Dimitri said kindly. He turned and walked to the edge of the plateau. He sat on the edge and listened to the waves hitting the rock at the bottom, 10,000 feet below. Riel sat beside him. "I don't think I will ever die now. My punishment will be to walk alone in the valley of death and corruption."

"But you don't have to." Riel tried to think of a way to get him back to Lindblum. Nothing she could think of would work. "If you helped to end the war, it could help with your atonement. Saving millions of lives could counterbalance the lives you have taken."

"That might work, but my demon would only make things worse." Dimitri reminded her of "the other." Dimitri seemed to have made up his mind. He would try to help the sorry state of the world. "Let's go, I saved an airship. We'll go to your homeland."

Riel smiled internally. Dimitri was exactly what she needed to help win the war. The people would rally behind the great warrior and they would put Esto Gaza down.

Dimitri led Riel to an airship that was free of flames. Oddly enough, it was her flagship with her room on board. They started the ship and took off, leaving the burning metal and dead bodies behind. It would be about fourteen hours of just her and the idol she had studied her whole life. She wished to ask him how the book was wrong.

"Dimitri, may I ask what really happened a thousand years ago?" Riel stepped into the control room where Dimitri was looking out over the land passing beneath them.

"If you wish to know…" Dimitri did not turn to face the Lindblum general. "I was born on Terra and given a soul by the guardian, Garland. He did this to ensure that the Terran people had someone to lead them after he passed on. I was sent to Gaia to make sure that enough souls were harvested to save Terra from destruction. I was supposed to be the peacekeeper between Zidane and Kuja."

"The 'Instigators'…?" Riel asked, recalling similar facts.

"If that is what they are called now… I never awakened in time so Kuja destroyed Terra, and Zidane defeated Kuja. He also fought the being who controls the nexus of creation, but that is another story. Kuja came back and killed almost everything again." Dimitri spun to face Riel. "He killed Zidane and Mikoto, the last Terrans besides me and him. I flew into a rage and killed him in Oelivert. The great tree Yggdrasyl was unleashed and it absorbed Kuja's soul, threatening the planet one last time. I fell in love with Queen Garnet til Alexandroth the 16th and fought the tree I was really destined to defend. I quelled the problem and settled down with Garnet in Alexandria. I spent fifty-three years there until her death; then I was asked to leave by the successor to the throne, a man by the name of Lucious, which was strangely, the same name as my father. I did so and never looked back."

Dimitri let the details sink in a little. He did not want to overload her. But he knew by the looks of her, she was very bright. She leaned against the wall and let her eyes drop to the floor.

"The book was off quite a bit." Riel said, pushing off from the wall with little energy. Her head began to spin and she felt dizzy. She reached out for the wall again but found Dimitri's arm instead. "Sorry, but I don't feel so well…"

"No problem." Dimitri picked her off her feet gently and carried her to her quarters. He laid her down on her bed and pulled her cover over her chest. "You need some rest. I suggest you get it while you can. I'll make sure nothing happens while you are asleep."

Riel couldn't keep from falling asleep and quickly drifted off. For the first time in her life, she dreamt. She saw untold wars occurring and an unstoppable presence in the shape of a large black wave. Before it engulfed her, a man stepped in the way and cast it down with a single wave of the large sword he carried on his back. The darkness then culminated at his feet and spread like a cancer across the planet. The man grabbed her by the throat and held a foot off the ground.

"STOP!!" She screamed, shaking herself from sleep. She had been in a cold sweat and felt the moisture in her sheets and clothes. She stood from the bed and took off her thick black clothes. She couldn't stop shaking as she put on a simple black dress with a loose skirt to her knees. She had to brace against the wall to keep from collapsing.

Dimitri stepped in the doorway. He saw Riel struggling and helped her regain her balance. He helped her walk to the control room and set her in a chair near the windshield.

Riel stared out and saw what she never wanted to see. The land beneath them was covered in snow and ice. Dimitri had taken them to the Lost Continent, home to Esto Gaza. She saw the city below and looked to Dimitri.

"Why have you brought us here?!" Riel stood up to the best of her ability.

"I told you, I wish to save lives." Dimitri went to the control panels and brought the ship down to the snow packed ground. "I suggest you dress warmly. We may be here a while."

Dimitri stepped outside, followed by a reluctant Riel. The biting cold immediately stung her skin and eyes. She wondered if Dimitri felt it, for he was only wearing his long black pants and the cloak she had seen earlier, nothing else. He was also wearing a sword on his waist and an enormous sword with an inscription of an angel on it.

"I hope you know what you are doing." She said as the people started moving toward them. They soon met up with the people of Esto Gaza and Dimitri began talking to them. Riel couldn't hear over the howling wind. Their shifty glances at her told her that they were uneasy and knew who she was.

The people soon parted from their path and Dimitri led her into the city. The architectural designs were magnificent for all of their buildings. They worshipped in every aspect of their lives, showing their religious symbols everywhere. Dimitri was soon escorted by twelve warlocks of their highest caliber and four surrounded Riel.

"We must make sure to keep you two under watchful eyes at all times." They were given as an explanation.

Six warlocks jumped to open the door of the large cathedral in the center of their city. Dimitri and Riel walked in unescorted from there. Ahead of them was a single person in a pew with their head bowed.

"The wise man leaves the path and searches for enlightenment where no other has ever been." The person echoed as they grew near.

"What the hell—?" Riel said before Dimitri put his hand up to signal her to stop.

"No other method has proven as righteous." Dimitri sat right next to the person. Riel sat down two pews back and listened intently.

"No other method has driven more to the edge of reality and sanity." The person responded. "You are an example of that, Dimitri the Great."

"You are wise beyond your years, even if you have lived longer than I." Dimitri bowed his head as the man was doing. The two ancients raised their heads in unison and looked straight forward. "It has been too long, Enigma."

"Exactly 1,004 years since we last talked." Enigma turned to Riel. His face was actually covered by a featureless mask that did not even bear eye holes. "Who is your lovely friend?"

"Her name is Riel." Dimitri turned as well.

"The Lindblum chief general, Riel?" Enigma said without a tone of voice.

Dimitri nodded and the two men stood up. They sat on either side of Riel. Enigma touched her face and scrutinized every detailed. He let out an emotionless laugh.

Riel did not understand who he was, or what he did. She didn't grasp what was going on.

"You are her." Enigma declared. "I have seen you on the battlefield many times, often fighting alongside your men. You are a good soldier. I almost killed you once before. I must have had good judgment."

"You're the "Faceless" that the Regent is always talking about…" Riel recalled many war stories Cid had told at victory banquets, even though there were almost none of those.

"Very good. That is what all of my enemies have come to call me." Enigma sighed. "But I fear that Esto Gaza may not be strong enough to keep fighting Lindblum."

"Are you going to surrender to us?" Riel brightened. Dimitri laughed, as did Enigma.

"NO. We will never surrender. Our people would rather fight to the death, than concede." Enigma said with flat emotions.

"Enigma, would it not be wise to decide a final peace with Lindblum?" Dimitri inquired. Enigma straightened his back slightly.

"What do you suggest? I will not accept any forfeiture." Enigma stated.

"We can go to Lindblum and speak directly with Cid." Riel offered.

"You are getting ahead of yourself." Dimitri put his hand on her shoulder. "Your Regent might not like the terms, or even the idea of a negotiation."

"True." Riel had to admit. "We won't know until we try."

"What other choice do I have?" Enigma shrugged and laughed. "I wish to go and sort things out with this Cid fellow. May I accompany you, Miss Riel?"

"Yes, you may. But I hate formalities." Riel turned to Dimitri. "Are you coming as well?"

"I would love to but I must stay here while the leader of Esto Gaza is away. If something goes wrong and Lindblum attacks, then I will lead Esto Gaza in battle." Dimitri explained. "You better hope things go alright."

"I will go inform the people that Dimitri the Great will be their guardian until I return." Enigma stood and walked from the room.

"Are you sure that this is what you should do?" Dimitri smiled. "You are a member of the Lindblum army, and that is the leader of your enemy."

"I know what you are thinking but I would never do that." Riel avoided accusation. "I will bring peace or I will bring back Enigma."

"If something is to happen, I will have to kill more, to protect Enigma's people. I will not hesitate to kill you either." Dimitri's smile disappeared. His expression became troubled.

Enigma reentered the chapel flanked by four ceremonial guards that bore the mark of High Necromancer, the highest rank in Esto Gaza. The guards had their arms strapped to their chests and their eyes and mouths were covered.

"I have made the necessary arrangements, now let us be on our way." Enigma motioned to the door. "I am bringing my servants as a safety measure. I know you have encountered them before on the battlefield. They are an exclusive group with only fourteen in number. None have ever been killed and they have claimed over 500,000 lives. My necromancers are more than enough to ensure a safe voyage."

Riel and Enigma left the beautiful cathedral followed by the blind and mute guards. The airship was ready for them to begin their peacekeeping mission so they departed immediately. Riel tried to ignore the necromancers and focused on Enigma.

"Just how old are you?" Riel asked the ancient when the ship was in the air.

"In years? Or centuries?" Enigma replied.

"In years…" Riel pondered his response.

"I am in fact, 148,385 years old." Enigma said without a hint of humor or pride. "My age is attributed to the lives I have taken. Dimitri and I are one in the same. We have not been allowed to die because of the sins we have committed. Dimitri has a long ways to go… as do I."

"What have you done all of this time?" Riel braced against a control panel.

"I have been quietly worshipping the entity that does not permit my death. I have been leading the faithful down the correct path. Until about 500 years ago, I had not killed in over 100,000 years. A Lindblum patrol killed an entire village, leaving me as the only survivor, bathed in the blood of over ten of their soldiers. Since then, I have fought to keep your country from conquering mine." Enigma showed no anger. "I only wish to prevent further bloodshed. But if I am stabbed in the back, I will take as many as I can with me."

Riel understood his suspicion of her, but she would soon dispel that feeling. She turned and went to her quarters. She took off her black dress and put her original outfit back on. She stood in front of her mirror and checked everything. She had to be ready for anything.

The next fourteen hours were silent as Riel sat in the captain's chair watching the oceans and continents beneath them. She couldn't ignore the necromancers that were posted two at the door and one on either side of the windshield. Their presence was unnerving. She grew bored and waited for sleep.

The sleep eventually came but she soon wished it had never descended on her. More turbulent dreams plagued her slumber. She was being held off the ground by a faceless man that was unbound by mortal boundaries. Around her darkness enveloped all and corroded her kingdom of Lindblum. It had to be Enigma. She would have to stop him.

She awoke to a low humming sound by her ear. She snapped to attention and found a Necromancer right by her face. The air around them was a pitch black. She kicked out at the necromancer with all of the force she could. The Necromancer slid across the deck and hit the far wall. The necromancer simply stood and turned statuesque.

"My necromancers have the ability to sense thoughts, inner voices, and even dreams." Enigma did not seem fazed at the assault of his servant. "You were having a nightmare…a very dark one indeed. I believe someone was about to kill you."

"Shut up. I don't have dreams." Riel barked. Enigma let out a dry laugh.

"That used to be true. Now you are having nightmares. Tell me that this is not a coincidence of meeting Dimitri." Enigma walked up the stairs to her seat. He leaned down right in front of her, seeing as he was over seven feet tall. "Your exposure to Dimitri's demon has left an imprint on your soul. You must be careful from now on, you might do unexpected things."

"Just leave me be." Riel straightened her hair as Enigma returned to his spot over the control panels. "How much longer?"

"We have actually been circling Lindblum for about an hour, they requested your security clearance, but I didn't want to wake you…plus your dreams are fascinating." Enigma pointed to the castle out the windshield.

"You bastard. You should have woken me." Riel went to the panels and typed in her codes. The castle sent the message to come into the main dock. "Let's not make a scene, okay? Just walk quietly with me to the Regent's office."

"Fine with me." Enigma opened the main hatch and filed out behind his necromancers. Every soldier and engineer in the area was either running or finding a weapon when the five Esto Gazans mingled among the ships. Riel stepped ahead of them and cleared a path without conflict.

"Everyone stand down!" Riel commanded as they reached the doors to the main castle. They weaved through foyers and hallways until they found the Regent's office. Riel took a deep breath and looked back at her entourage. She shook her head and put her hand on the handle of the door. "Let's hope he will listen to reason."

She opened the door and waved the others in. They took seats in front of the desk while the necromancers guarded the door. The Regent's chair was turned to look out of the magnificent window behind his desk.

"Sir—!" Riel began but was cut off.

"Where have you been? The reports said that all ships were lost and all of our men were dead. How did this happen?" Cid bombarded her without looking at the group. "How come you are the only one returning? You failed to destroy the threat, didn't you?"

"No sir, she didn't." Enigma spoke up.

Cid turned around to see who had spoken out. When he saw Enigma and his necromancers, he paled and became visibly upset.

"What the hell are they doing here?!" Cid turned his anger to Riel. "You have betrayed us!!"

"NO I DIDN'T!!" Riel slammed her delicate but strong hands on the desk. Cid flinched and sank back in his chair. "I brought them here because of certain events that occurred to where they would like to negotiate a peace among the kingdoms. If you will not at least consider it, then they will return to their country and prepare for another war. But I strongly advise you listen to what he has to say, and make sure nothing happens to them. A man who is taking care of Esto Gaza would be very upset if something were to happen."

"Well… uh, Riel…may I speak with you privately?" Cid stood uneasily. Riel looked to Enigma's featureless face, who gave her a nod.

"Let's make it quick." Riel was giving orders now. They branched into a small side room. "What?"

"How the hell could you bring them here?! They are our sworn enemies! How could you think that we could negotiate with them?!" Cid turned a bright red. "I will have you imprisoned for this!!"

"Sir, you have to understand that even more lives are going to be wasted if you don't try to negotiate." Riel said sternly. "The threat on the plateau was actually the Dimitri from legend. He killed over ten thousand of our men and Esto Gaza's soldiers. I was able to convince him to enter the war, but he seems to side with Esto Gaza more than us."

"That's the biggest heap of bullshit I've ever heard. Dimitri was a legend, he died centuries ago." Cid snapped his fingers and five armed soldiers came in the room. "Please escort General Riel to the brig. Make sure she does not stir up a commotion."

"Sir, you have no idea what you are doing! Those five in there are not to be shunned lightly!" Riel cried as her arms were tied behind her back. The soldiers pushed her from the room. "Don't make this mistake!"

Cid came back into his office and saw that two of the necromancers had disappeared.

"Where are your servants?" Cid asked.

"I told them to go back to the ship, since you have no interest in negotiating." Enigma remained seated.

"Then why are you still sitting here?" Cid began to grow impatient.

"Because you have a heavily armed battalion in between me and the ship. My Necromancers are taking care of it for me, but I shall be off in fifteen seconds." Enigma got up and went to the door. He stopped when he touched the doorknob. "Why did you have to imprison such a promising young woman for trying to help her kingdom? You aren't a Regent, you're a tyrant."

With that comment, he left while the necromancers phased through the wall without trouble. Cid couldn't control his heart rate, and he leaned back. There was something about those damned Esto Gazans that was not right.

Enigma slowly trotted to the airship and marveled at the work his most loyal subjects had done. Everyone that had been on this floor was slaughtered by two of his necromancers. He reveled in the mass of gored soldiers that were lying in front of the airship. The two servants stood atop the ship and did not move.

"You have done well." Enigma laughed coldly. "It is time for step two. You all know what needs to be done."

The four necromancers all faded out of sight and Enigma watched as the airship took off and departed the docks. His subjects were told what to do, and they would follow his instructions to the letter. Enigma turned and went back into the castle.

**"It is time for the redemption of Lindblum and its souls corrupt. I will ensure these crimes are punished. My faith as my guide, this will not stand." **Enigma removed his mask and dropped it to the ground. He crushed it under his boot and advanced to mete out punishment.

Riel paced the length of her small cell and tried to contain her anger at Cid's foolishness. She had to stop Enigma, or something bad would happen; she just knew it. The guard outside kept looking at her with condescension. She couldn't stand it.

"Soldier, let me out right now." Riel stood in front of the bars on the door.

"I can't do that ma'am, Regent's orders." The guard smiled and flashed an evil look. He edged closer to the door. "Did you really bring "faceless" here? Because if you did, that is the same as treason."

"Shut up." Riel spoke through the barred door. The soldier was now right across from her on the other side. "It won't matter because Enigma is going to kill everybody because Cid wouldn't listen to their negotiation proposal.

"Yeah right!" The soldier laughed. "As if those damned Esto Gazans would negotiate. They just kill until no one is left standing."

"They do that because we do the same thing." Riel tried to explain how the two societies were very similar. "Lots of people are going to die if something is not done! Let me out!!"

The soldier turned around and stopped listening. Riel contained her outrage and sat on the floor in the corner. Her eyes darted around. This place was dredging memories that she had locked away in her mind. She shook the thoughts from her head but they wouldn't cease. The darkness was consuming her.

Riel fell to her side on the stone floor, trying to combat the memories she was trying to forget from her childhood and adolescent days. Her head pounded and she felt pain course through her body. Her skin felt ablaze.

Her pain continued as she heard something outside. She could not stand to see what it was but she could hear it. Someone was fighting the soldier outside. A loud sound resounded as the soldier was sent through her cell door. She heard footsteps and saw someone enter.

The person did not make a sound. She saw that it was a necromancer when it bent down to check on her. Its arms were unbound from its chest and it picked her up. Her vision faded as it carried her to the Regent's office. She was almost completely blind when it set her in a chair. She could make out the outline of two other men in the room, but that was it before she passed out.

Dimitri sat on top of the tallest spire of the Esto Gaza cathedral. He watched the horizon for the airship carrying the answer to their questions. The people stared at him from thousands of feet below, but that was of no concern.

He fell backward from the spire of his own accord, without shifting his body at all or changing his body shape. His body was completely still as he fell, until he was just before the ground. He blurred upright and landed on his feet without causing any tremor on landing. The people watched in awe as he walked into the cathedral.

"I have only been seeking my atonement for a thousand years. How long must I wait?" Dimitri questioned the statues around the room. They all looked at him with daring eyes, made of the whitest of stone. "Why must I wait to reunite with my loved ones and friends? I do not care if my judgment comes back as a sentencing to damnation. This world has no use for me anymore except causing pain and anguish. DAMN IT!! I WANT TO DIE!!"

Tears ran down his face as he yelled into echoes being hurled back at him in the holy structure. He fell to his knees in front of the largest statue, which was a carving of Necron, the being who held all of them in his palm. Had he really been slain by Zidane a thousand years ago? Were they now alone…alone to make their own decisions?

"Send me a signal of how to gain my freedom of this hell…" Dimitri removed is cloak to reveal his millions of scars. "These damn scars are only reminders of the loss of my humanity. My sanity was soon after. My conscience followed them… why can't my life do the same… I no longer need it."

Dimitri looked up at the statue, which seemed to be looking down on Dimitri with shame. The sword on his back was also a reminder of his former life. It was known as Ragnorok and had been used to kill countless people. The inscription on the blade of an angel did not suit him at all.

"Is this why I am here? To be your little angel of death?!" Dimitri drew the enormous sword and twirled it with one hand. He wiped the tears away and looked at all of the faces of stone in the room that were looking at him with condescension. "It is my job… isn't it? I am the reaper now. If I am to be the reaper, you are the first ones."

Dimitri cleaved the stone figures into pieces and watched the rain of stone crash into the ground. His breath began to strain and he fell to the ground, letting his sword fall from his hand. He looked up at the massive plate glass roof above him. He stared for an hour, never moving until he saw something through the glass.

"What the hell?" Dimitri saw the airship coming into view. It was on fire and it was coming straight down on the cathedral. He stood immediately and sheathed Ragnorok. He ran from the chapel and into the streets where many had gathered to watch the tragedy that was about to unfold. "Get away from the building!!"

Many remained to watch while Dimitri climbed the side of the building. He sprinted to the tallest point and watched the ship plummet. When the ship was about to pass him on the way down, he unsheathed both of his swords and jumped into the air.

"No more will die because of me!!" Dimitri struck a hammer blow against the side of the ship when it got to him right before crashing through the roof with his swords. The blow hit with so much force that the ship instantly cut in half but the change in momentum was dramatic. The two halves shifted course where one fell near the building while the other fell on top of him when he went through the glass. "The damage will be much less…"

The glass cut deeply into Dimitri's body when he hit the ground. He only had a split second to breathe painfully before the front half of the ship crushed him on the chapel floor. The crash broke several walls and tore a third of the structure down. Dimitri's body was pinned to the ground beneath the burning hulk of the ships hull.

Dimitri regained consciousness on the stone ground outside of the cathedral. The damage was immense, but it was not as bad as if the whole ship had hit it. His blood pooled around him and left a trail where he had been drug from the chapel. He extracted the glass from his body by hand, wincing in pain.

"Tell me that I was supposed to have died…" Dimitri whispered to himself. "You wouldn't let me would you?"

Dimitri stood shakily and looked around. Many people lie on the ground dead. Many tended to the dead and left Dimitri alone. He walked back into the damaged building. He found a different trail of blood that branched from his own and began to follow it. He came to a row of undamaged pews and looked through the rows. In one of the pews, a necromancer sat with all of his bindings taken off.

"I'm glad you survived." The necromancer rasped from his never used voice. Dimitri sat by him and noticed that he had shrapnel stuck in his chest and it was going to kill him soon. The blood was soaking into the pew but neither cared. "Enigma was detained in Lindblum. Me and the other necromancers came back on the airship to get you, but the others died in the crash. Lindblum fired at us, catching our engine on fire. We couldn't control it so we fell out of the sky."

"I will go and get the other necromancers and we will wage war on Lindblum." Dimitri knew what he must do.

"They are in the chambers below the Necron statue that was destroyed in the crash." The necromancer uttered his last words and fell to the floor. Dimitri put the body back on the pew and walked to the remains of the Necron figure he had actually cut down with Ragnorok. He kicked the rubble and wreckage aside and found a large door that was chained down.

He opened the door and ducked down into the hallway. He came to the end of the hallway that was just a door. He broke the padlock on the door with his bare hand and kicked the door down. Chained to the walls were ten of the Necromancers that many feared. They opened their eyes simultaneously and looked at him.

"I come to bring you to battle." Dimitri knew how to get their attention. He was about to explain why when they freed themselves from the wall's chains.

"We know why." A necromancer that bore a leadership mark stepped forward. "Until we find Lord Enigma, we follow your orders only."

"Then let's not waste any time." Dimitri turned from the room and was followed by the loyal necromancers. They emerged from the hole in the chapel floor and stepped out into daylight. The people cheered as they watched their champions walk through town without any of their bindings. "At least they support us."

The lead necromancer led Dimitri to a hidden airship out in the snowy fields beyond the city's outskirts. Dimitri recognized the vessel right away from his past experiences.

"The Invincible?" Dimitri knew this ship because Kuja had once used it to capture Eidolons. It also helped the Terrans escape the destruction of Terra. "Why do you have it? I thought the kingdom of Alexandria had it hidden."

"They did, but Lord Enigma found it after Alexandria fell and hid it here for emergencies." The lead necromancer explained and pushed a button on the outside of the hull. The eleven men were teleported inside the cockpit. "We'll be in Lindblum in seven minutes. Prepare for a great battle. We will claim victory from Lindblum."

The ship was amazingly fast and it got them to Lindblum in seven minutes. When they slowed down, the sky was filled with smoke and many buildings were on fire. The castle was checkered with explosions that erupted with blatant intensity. Dimitri watched the mayhem as the Invincible came into the dock and landed. They piled out and searched for any opposition.

"I know this place! Go this way!" Dimitri recalled his history in Lindblum. The necromancers followed him through the hallways and majestic staterooms until they came to the office of the Regent, just as Dimitri remembered it. "In here."

They flung open the door and swept inside, covering every angle. Inside they found Cid impaled to the wall with a sword off of the mantelpiece above his head. Enigma swiveled around in the now dead Regent's chair.

"There you are." Enigma had taken off his mask to reveal a deep face that had an underlying sense of darkness. He had long flaming red hair that Dimitri had never seen before. He had never see Enigma without his featureless mask. He was shocked to find that he had removed it for such a trivial manner. "My face is shocking?"

"No, but I never thought you had a face." Dimitri sat in the seat across from Enigma. Dimitri couldn't figure what had transpired other than Enigma killed the Regent and set destruction loose on the kingdom.

"I have many faces…just like you, Dimitri." He said coolly. Enigma stood and looked out the window at the devastation among the buildings below. People were running screaming through the streets and alleys. "The necromancers tell me of the way you saved half of my cathedral and I thank you for it. My servants died in the process and will be remembered as heroes. Necromancers, go into the city and round all of the people up. If they resist, don't hesitate to make examples. I want them brought to the castle first floor."

"You are going to imprison the people?" Dimitri questioned. Enigma let out a laugh and turned to him.

"Yes I am. Then they will be executed en masse." Enigma seemed to have gained emotions and was slightly giddy. "Won't it be grand?"

"The hell it will!" Dimitri bolted to his feet. Enigma arched an eyebrow. "I came back to this world from seclusion to save as many lives as I could. You are not going to execute all of these people simply because you can. I will kill you if you do so."

"How noble, but I don't think it will be enough to change my mind." Enigma flicked his hand at the necromancers. "Go."

Dimitri pulled the Ragnorok from his back and lashed out at the necromancers. He decapitated three of them and cut two more in half. The other five faded from the room in an attempt to flee and complete their mission. Before Dimitri could lash out again, Enigma sidestepped each blow and was inches from Dimitri. He put his palm into Dimitri's chest and knocked the wind out of him.

"I figured that you were smarter than that. I don't take too kindly to you interfering with my plans." Enigma held Dimitri off the ground with his palm. Dimitri grasped his sword and tried to strike Enigma. Enigma simply caught the blade with his other hand. "You will never learn."

"What about your atonement?" Dimitri gathered his breath back. "Why are you doing this when you were just trying to make up for the millions of lives you took thousands of years ago?"

"I have realized that I will never be allowed to die because of how many I have killed. I know that my sins are worse than yours and I will never be able to make up for that. My idea is to kill so many that I must be killed, one way or another. You understand, don't you?" Enigma smiled and moved them toward the window. "How far do you think it is to the ground from here? Oh wait, I know. Its eight thousand feet, give or take a few feet. This is where I must so good bye old friend. I hope that Mikoto and Garnet are waiting for you."

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Dimitri yelled as Enigma threw him through the window high above the city.

Enigma stood watching him fall. He didn't want to do it, but there was nothing else to prevent him from stopping his plan. Enigma removed Cid from the wall and placed the broadsword that was in his throat on his waist. He kicked the corpse out the window and let it fall to the city below as well.

"It will all come to fruition." Enigma opened the door to the next room. He found what he was looking for on the couch by the door. "Time to wake the dreamer."

He placed his hand on Riel's forehead and filtered some energy to her. She stirred and opened her eyes. She looked at him in surprise and sat up quickly.

"Who are you?" Riel didn't recognize him. Her head hurt so bad that she didn't really care. "What am I doing in the Regent's office?"

"I brought you here, after I broke you out of the brig." Enigma stood way above her level. He helped her up and let her study him.

"I know you, but I can't remember…" Riel knew the height and clothes, but had never seen the face or hair. "Are you…Enigma?"

"Yes I am." He did not bother hiding it. "Are you alright?"

"I have no idea." She straightened herself up and unzipped her jacket. "What's been going on? Where is Cid?"

"I had to take care of him." Enigma felt it wrong to lie.

"You killed him?!" Riel stammered. "What happened?"

"He didn't really like what I had to say, so I impaled him by the throat and threw him from the window behind his desk." Enigma smiled and watched Riel react.

"How could you?!" Riel stood up and grabbed his trench coat. He looked down at her and smiled. "You heartless mother fucker!!"

"It is not as bad as what I am going to do to your people." He caught her attention. "I am going to execute them all."

"You can't…" Riel let go of her and sank to her knees. She began to shake.

Enigma kneeled down on one knee and put his hand on her shoulder. He used his psychic abilities to read her past and other things. She hit his hand away. He had gotten what he wanted.

"Dear Riel, how could you?" Enigma employed a tone that she would recognize immediately. She froze instantly. "How dare you hit me like that."

She looked up at him with outright fear in her eyes. Her memories flooded back. The way her father…

"You shouldn't hit your father like that." Enigma kept on with his mind games. He decided to land the finishing blow. "I will have to punish you."

She ran with indeterminable speed from the room. He knew he would probably never see her again.

"Maybe I shouldn't have used that exact way of getting rid of her." Enigma showed an unknown emotion, regret. He wiped the emotion away and returned to his vantage point in the Regent's office. "The only threats are now out of my way. I can continue."

Riel didn't stop running until she was out of the castle and down a deserted alley. She collapsed in tears in a corner. She held her knees to her chest and let out a wail of agony. Her memories were driving her mad. She didn't know how much she could take of it.

Her memories were crystal clear, even though they were years ago. She was fourteen when it started. Her father stood over her and smiled. She was tied to her bed and had a strip of leather over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He then did things to her, things so painful to remember. She withdrew from the recollection and cried even more.

She stayed coiled up and reflected on her life. She was now twenty-two. She worked to get away from her father and joined the Lindblum Army. She rose through the ranks quickly and was labeled a prodigy. One night, she ordered the death of her father. He was put to death in their old home… with her watching every bit of it.

Now she was in the middle of the greatest threat to her kingdom. Enigma was the one in her dream, the one who allied himself with the darkness. She checked herself and found that her sword was on her waist. She never noticed it. She held Sertei close and tried to think about her situation.

If she was to survive, she had to hope Dimitri was coming. Only he could even hope to stop Enigma. She stood up and removed her black jacket, revealing her black sleeveless shirt beneath it. She was going to need full mobility. She threw the jacket down and ran down the alley.

Her pace brought her to one of the busiest markets in Lindblum, but it was completely barren. She saw a flash from time to time and noticed it was one of Enigma's necromancers. He was patrolling the area. She decided that she was going to eliminate him. She was about to make her move when another flash came into view and cut the necromancer in half.

The second blur slowed down and revealed Dimitri wielding his two swords. From where she could see, his eyes had turned crimson again. His cloak was missing and his entire back was coated in blood. There were shards of glass jutting out of his back and shoulders. His left arm was twisted at a weird angle.

She came out of her hiding spot slowly and approached cautiously. He turned and looked right at her before she got within twenty feet. She stopped when their eyes locked. He sheathed both of his swords and stepped toward her.

"What are you doing here?" Dimitri returned to normal. His body was covered in wounds. She reached out and touched his broad shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Your wounds are really bad, and yet you are able to fight like that." Riel moved around to his back. The glass in his back was in very large pieces. "What happened?"

"I came to Lindblum and met up with Enigma. He had killed Cid and a lot of people. He then told me that he was going to execute all of the people in Lindblum. I tried to stop him. I killed five of his necromancers, well, now six. Plus four died in Esto Gaza when the airship crashed. He only has four left. Anyway, he then threw me out of the Regent's window." Dimitri explained what had occurred. "I used my cloak to wrap the body of your Regent. Enigma kicked it out after he threw me out. I've been trying to find all of his necromancers so I can get them out of the way."

"I know they are very deadly." Riel remembered running into one before on the battlefield.

"If they kill the people, the necromancers will be unstoppable." Dimitri shuddered at the possibilities. "If there are any dead bodies around, do not attempt to fight them, okay?"

"Understood." Riel had no idea why but she didn't ask. She rummaged through the stands and buildings around them and found things to dress Dimitri's wounds. He rejected the treatment at first but Riel forced him to at least remove the glass from his back.

"This brings back memories." Dimitri grit his teeth from the pain of Riel working on his back and shoulders.

"Of what?" Riel pulled another shard from his skin.

"When I fought Kuja…" Dimitri winced. "He left me in such bad shape that I could barely walk and Garnet had to prop me up on her shoulder. She and Eiko dressed my wounds, and then I killed him. I have no idea how I survived that one."

"Just like this one?" Riel got the last one out. Dimitri nodded and smiled through the pain. "Now on to you arm."

"I said we were going to do my back, that's it." Dimitri tried to stand but Riel put pressure on his back. "AHH!! God damn it! Fine!"

Riel took his arm and twisted it slightly, causing Dimitri to grunt.

"This is going to hurt like hell." Riel warned him. She twisted it as far as possible, finally hearing the joint catch. She popped it twice to make sure. It was back to normal, though the bone itself felt shattered. "How's that?"

"Okay, I guess." Dimitri held it up and examined it. "My regeneration should start eventually."

"Then we should be ready." Riel stood up, as did Dimitri. He reequipped himself and stretched all of his muscles.

"Riel, I must warn you. I may let the demon inside me come out, so I want you to run away as far and as fast as you can away from me when you see my eyes turn red." Dimitri instructed her.

"Okay." She secured her sword. Dimitri shifted the sword on his back away from his wounds.

They trudged through the deserted town and searched for any threat or sign of people. They didn't find anything.

"We have been searching for hours." Riel said needlessly. Dimitri fell to the ground and closed his eyes.

"I haven't had any sleep since three days before Garnet died." Dimitri hid his insomnia well. "About 950 years. I can't trust myself to fall asleep again, or my demon will come out."

"Can't you at least try?" Riel showed unnatural concern. Dimitri looked at her with piercing eyes. "I can watch our backs while you get some sleep. If not, I can always wake you."

"Why not?" His voice dripped with obvious stress. This great warrior had to live without sleep to control himself. He quickly drifted off into sleep, leaving Riel to keep an eye on things.

Riel watched her surroundings carefully. If someone saw them, it would be the most opportune moment to strike. She couldn't let anything wake him either. She looked at the slumbering legend with admiration and respect. His wounds would become even more scars, adding to his unending legacy.

Watching Dimitri sleep was making her sleepy. Her eyelids grew heavy and she sat down beside Dimitri. Her mind wandered and her eyes closed. She lie back on the ground and fell asleep.

Riel opened her eyes and gazed up into the night sky. The stars were very bright and the air was clean. She sat up and looked around. Dimitri was no longer beside her. He must have gone on by himself.

"You've been sleeping for eighteen hours." Dimitri said with a smooth voice behind her. He moved to her and sat down beside her. "I was asleep for about twelve myself. It felt so good to leave the world of the conscience. I noticed that you were having nightmares so I used some of my extrasensory abilities to block them out for you."

"Thank you." Riel rubbed her eyes. "You didn't have to."

"In a way, I did. Your dreams are plagued with the memories of our father." Dimitri looked into Riel's eyes. His eyes seemed to have less pain in them after sleeping. "Your father was a bad man, I assume."

"He was a great man… but he was a bad father." Riel hesitated to talk about it. She had always known that Dimitri was a great philosopher among other things, but his background in psychology seemed deep as well. "He was a general in the army and greatly respected throughout the world. But he did things to me, his own daughter. Everyone looked the other way because of his accomplishments. I joined the army to escape him. I eventually ordered his death because I framed him for treason. Quite a way to end his career, huh?"

"Quite. Killing one's own father nets a spot in one of the deepest levels of hell." Dimitri recalled his past. "I may never know hell because of what I've done, but now I am looking forward to it. Any release from this life is welcome."

"That is how Enigma talks." Riel recalled his words earlier. "He wishes for death so much that he is going to kill all of the people so there is no other solution than for him to die."

"Then I will be his angel of death." Dimitri touched his sword subconsciously. Riel could feel his energy rising. "We need to get going."

They both stood and checked themselves. They then bounded down the streets, looking for anything. Dimitri slowed when they came to the bridge to the castle. He sidled around and looked to the main gate. He saw a necromancer on each side. That left two others unaccounted for.

"Riel. Go around the bride to the underside and come up from the left side. Quickly and quietly try to get rid of the necromancer on that side. I'll take care of the other one and grab the gate." Dimitri ordered in a hushed tone. Riel nodded and slipped away quietly.

Dimitri adjusted his swords and grabbed the outer edge of the bridge, which was about an inch wide, letting his body hang there. He used his fingers and body movements to inch to the other side of the bridge. He poked up from under the bridge looking around. The necromancer on his side was turned away from him.

Dimitri drew his smaller sword; the one that had guided him threw his journey of life. He uttered a short prayer and lunged from his hiding place. He caught the necromancer in the back of his head with the razor sharp blade. There was no recoil and the necromancer fell lifeless to the ground. Dimitri smiled and sheathed his weapon. He heard the other necromancer fall to the ground and looked in that direction.

"Got it." Riel smiled and pulled her sword out of the necromancer's chest. They advanced to the huge doors to the grand foyer of the castle and braced against the wall. Dimitri slowly pushed the door inward and looked in. Inside, all of the people were herded together by the last two necromancers. The one above them was wearing the mark of the head necromancer.

"Not good." Dimitri came away from the door. "The last two have all of the people together in there and they've removed their restraints. This will not result in a happy ending."

"Fuck. Well what are we going to do?" Riel unsheathed her Sertei. She shuffled to the other side of the large door. She looked over at Dimitri and he flashed his eyes quickly. They kicked the door in and swept into the crowd.

"Move!!" Dimitri yelled over the confusion of the people. They moved to his side and rear and he charged the necromancer on the ground. The necromancer turned quickly and sidled away from the blade. He sidestepped and thrust into Dimitri's shoulder with his palm. "I swear you will die at my hand."

The necromancer tried to attack again but Dimitri retrieved his sword and parried the blow. He slung the sword across the room into the wall. He pulled the Ragnorok from his back and slammed into the necromancer's skull. Even though the necromancer's neck was broken, it still continued the fight. It kept striking out but Dimitri got behind him and thrust Ragnorok through his back. The blood coated him when he removed the sword and threw the body into the air.

"No mere mortal can stop me now." Dimitri let the demon bleed through. When the body came back down, he cut it into several pieces. The lead necromancer simply watched from above.

"You bastard!!" Riel jumped from above onto the lead necromancer. They hit the ground and Riel attempted to strike him but he easily shifted her to the ground. Dimitri weaved through the people and entered the fight with Riel.

"Your attempt is in vain." The necromancer hovered above them. He sent energy throughout the room, killing hundreds. "Now you will see the true ability of a necromancer."

All of the bodies picked themselves up and stood still. They closed in around Dimitri and Riel. Their eyes were empty and hollow.

"I knew this was coming." Dimitri put both hands on his sword and widened his feet. "This is why he wanted to kill all of the people. It's a source of power for his necromancers. Even one is enough to kill millions, giving rise to even more resources for the necromancer. We'll have a hard time with this one."

"What should we do? You got a strategy?" Riel asked as the two warriors were forced back to back. "Does this remind you of something?"

"Yeah…all of my friends being dead…" Dimitri's Ragnorok began to glow blue. His arms holding the blade were now a deep red. "I learned this from a man I once knew, the previous owner of this sword. Needless to say, I ended up killing him. When I give you the signal, run through the threshold over there and get to a higher floor. I'm going to stay behind and take care of this bastard, try and find Enigma."

"Okay. What until then?" Riel smiled and looked into the growing mass of living corpses.

"You get as close to that necromancer as possible. I know it's hard, but you'll have to cut through these bodies to get there." Dimitri stepped forward. "Let's go!!"

They charged into the corpses and began hacking their way through. Riel recognized almost all of them, but she forced that from her mind and focused on getting to that freak ahead of her. Her Sertei was cleaving bodies into shreds and clearing a path. She pushed several of the bodies out of the way and surged up a staircase that was clean of any opposition.

The necromancer looked down and smiled. It would only be a matter of time for him to kill them. The people were still dying, adding to his power. He saw Dimitri using his demonic power of the Ragnorok to obliterate his living dolls. He lost sight of Riel and knew that she was up to something. He turned to see if she was trying to get the jump on him again, but there was nothing.

"Necromancer!!" Dimitri cut his way to below him. His sword was still a ghostly blue. "Come down here! Face me!!"

"Why should I do that when I can just have my servants do that?" He sneered at Dimitri who was effortlessly dispatching his dolls. Dimitri smiled slightly and ran to the wall. "Are you running from me? Not going to happen."

The necromancer was about to go after him when he saw Dimitri grab his other sword stuck in the wall. With amazing speed, Dimitri brought the sword out of the wall and without any apparent aim, he threw the sword and it went through the necromancer's abdomen. When he was falling, Dimitri got beneath him.

"NOT YET!!" The necromancer stopped falling right before Dimitri caught him on the upswing. He removed the sword from his stomach and glared at the crimson coated blade. "The one who controls the dead will never die!!"

"Tell that to the other thirteen that have died." Dimitri called. Dimitri jumped up and collided with his enemy. They exchanged blows with their free hands and hit the ground.

"I will take your life with your own sword." The necromancer picked himself up off the stone floor. His living puppets gathered around them. "I will settle this by myself."

He charged Dimitri with the sword he took from his body. He skidded to a halt when he saw Dimitri standing as still as possible.

"Are you not going to meet my attack?" The puppeteer asked with a tone of confusion.

**"I am. I just wanted to let the demon out to play."** Dimitri became fully possessed. He swung his sword lightly and caused everything in front of him to be thrown backward. **"You wanted to take my life… so do it. If not, you waste my time."**

The necromancer tried to stand, but the energy had rendered him unable to do so. His body was paralyzed. He watched Dimitri stand over him, his evil eyes glowering.

**"I wish to taste your blood." **Dimitri poured untapped power into the already glowing blade in his hand. The necromancer put his hands up slightly to try and stop him. Dimitri brought his sword down with all of the strength in his body on his face. The impact tore a crater in the stone floor that was at least twenty feet deep. The damage tore a large section of the castle from the foundation and it crumbled around Dimitri. **"I am the new angel of death. The new reaper of sinning souls. The ones you controlled were controlling you."**

The necromancer's body was no longer there, erased from existence by the immeasurable force of Dimitri's onslaught. Dimitri stepped from the crater and over the rubble he had created from the destruction of part of the castle. His eyes scanned the debris quickly, checking to see if Riel made it. Not seeing her or her body, he moved on up the partially destroyed stairs to the next floor.

**"For every sin, there is a punishment, even when there is no enforcer. I am him, and they will fall beneath the rain of blood I am about to create from the sacrilegious ones. I symbolize all three of the cycle." **Dimitri bellowed as he slowly walked down the hallways. **"My sins were punished, giving way to the one who will enforce the sinners of their judgment. ENIGMA!! YOU EMBODY NOTHING BUT PAIN, SUFFERING, AND CHAOS!! I BECKON YOU TO FACE ME IN A BATTLE THAT ENDS WHEN WE BOTH DIE!!"**

Dimitri stop yelling and stepped into the regent's office. Riel was knocked out on the floor and Enigma stood waiting for him.

"Maybe I should have waited." Enigma unbuttoned his white trench coat. His body was masculine and covered in scars, just like Dimitri's. "We share the hatred of the ones who preside over our world. They wish for us to die, but they will not permit us sweet ascension because of our sins, Dimitri. You should realize that the taking of lives was what got us into this, and it will be the only way out."

"Maybe. You wish for death and will do anything to get it." Dimitri faded from his trance to deal with Enigma's words. "And yet you do not understand that you are wrong of how to do it. Taking lives is wrong… unless protecting something or someone."

"Then you should join me in protecting this world from all of the potential sinners. Let us carry out the will of the ones above. We will kill those unyielding to the will of faith." Enigma smiled with insane joy.

"Have you seriously lost it?" Dimitri went to Riel and lifted her up slightly. "Riel, wake up."

After a slight shaking, Riel returned to consciousness. She stood warily and drew her sword.

"Its time we took care of this crazy bastard." Riel inched closer.

"He is delusional." Dimitri agreed but stepped in front of Riel. "But he isn't telling us what he is really after. Tell us, Enigma, what do you plan on doing once you have taken care of us and Lindblum?"

"You are clever beyond your years. I was getting rid of Lindblum first so no one could notice me slip onto the Outer Continent." Enigma sat in the chair by the shattered window and explained his plan.

"Why the hell would you care about the Outer Continent?" Riel gripped her sword tightly.

"Something you read in that stupid book several times." Dimitri knew what Enigma was after now. "He's going for the Iifa tree. The giver and taker of souls on this planet."

"Very good. I wanted to cut down the tree. Simple as that. It would release all souls upon the living, causing many deaths and eventually pissing off the one who controls everything to the point where I am cast into the deepest of hells." Enigma laughed, fully knowing that his actions would mean certain damnation. Dimitri thought about what was going to happen.

"The souls of the dead will attack the living and possess them. The dead will then be open for your control." Dimitri connected the dots. "You are sick."

"And this is coming from the only other ancient alive. WE are sick. And you will help me, or die." Enigma smirked. "Wait, I know your answer… no, right? Well I have no reason for you to stay here in this realm. Any last words?"

"You first." Dimitri jumped over the table and speared Enigma out of the chair and out of the broken window.

"DIMITRI!!" Riel called after the two falling to the ground. She sheathed her sword and raced from the room. Her legs couldn't carry her fast enough to get out there to help. She felt her heart go crazy and hoped that it wouldn't end here.

She emerged from the castle to see one figure wielding a large sword over the other. Dust was still settling in the air and it took a moment to see who the victor was. Everything cleared and her heart skipped several beats.

"NO!!" Riel felt tears in her eyes. Enigma stood with Ragnorok in one hand and Dimitri's head in the other. Dimitri's body lay in a pool of blood beneath him. "NO!! THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN!! NOT TO HIM!!"

Enigma looked at her and smiled. His victory was final. The world had just lost its greatest protector. Dimitri had finally gained ascension, but it was too early. His true purpose was really to die here? Was this his atonement? It couldn't be…

"Now you know that death is only a gateway. I will face this great warrior in hell an infinite number of times. It will all occur soon." Enigma walked over to her. "Take care of his body, you may find it interesting."

He threw Dimitri's head at her feet. She couldn't bear to look at it. Enigma walked back into the castle. Riel collapsed into a sobbing heap. She was still sobbing when she saw an airship leave the castle docks and head north to the Outer Continent.

"WHY?! Why did you have to go like that?!" She cried. She picked up the Terran's head and went to his body. She looked at his scarred body and fought back a fresh wave of tears. She put his head down and sat beside his body to pay her respects. "Why…?"

She saw his hand was clenched at his side and blood was covering his hand. She opened his hand and gasped. In it was a heart. She saw a trail of blood leading into the castle that was fresh.

"He tore out Enigma's heart!!" Riel couldn't believe it. She knew that something was extremely different with him. Even as old and powerful as he is, even Enigma should have died. Riel used her energy and cut a deep hole in the ground. She placed Dimitri's body in it and looked at him one last time. She held his sword in her hand, the one that had slain Kuja a thousand years ago. Enigma had taken Ragnorok with him, but this would be enough. She replaced the dirt over Dimitri's body and walked away.

She went back into the castle and went into a daze. She wound up in the library, a place with thousands of years of knowledge compiled.

She looked on the shelves and found the book she was looking for.

"To Forsake Flawlessness…" Riel opened the book containing a written account of Dimitri's achievements. "Was this all true…? Were you trying to be modest? Why didn't you say something…?"

She reflected on the admiration she had for the now deceased legend. She knew that she would be the only one who could stop Enigma. She was about to leave when she found something interesting in the book that she never really noticed.

"Necron… disappeared after being defeated by Zidane. He had a featureless face with no expressions. No eyes… no mouth…" Riel didn't think that it could be possible. Could Enigma really be Necron, the being who controlled all of reality? "That could explain the Necron statue in Esto Gaza."

She moved in between shelves and looked for more sources of information. She pulled a large tome from the highest shelf and opened it. It was a written account of the faith that enveloped their world.

"'Necron created everything in a matter of seconds and cast his doubts upon his work… his power stemmed from a crystal that contained his entire being, a form of pure energy that was set in time by miraculous circumstances. This crystal ties the past, present, and future together, giving off radiation in the form of memories of the past.'" Riel read the dusty book carefully. "'Necron controlled every aspect of life for all things. His greatest gift to the living was animosity'… what the hell? 'Mankind grew to be stronger over the thousands of years due to their experience with death. None questioned his faith as was believed there was no other theory. Everything was crushed when Necron created an opposite race that opposed every belief of our world. Their world hung in our night sky and spread discord among the people.' This is deep…"

Riel's eyes hurt but she kept reading, hoping to find something she could use.

"'These nonbelievers were sent to our world every 1,000 years to harvest souls for their sadistic race to survive. They thrived in battle and killed millions of the faithful. Necron viewed this as trivial and simply a matter of survival and would not intervene. Hordes of people lost faith in Necron and deserted their beliefs, letting Necron be cast aside. Necron did not grow angry and let them be, he never assisted them either.'" Riel rubbed her eyes. "'Necron did not care what happened, seeing as how he only wished to be entertained. One day, he observed something, something that made him curious. After 500,000 years, something intrigued him. He witnessed the saving of a human life, a 'hero' saving a child from a murderous man. 'How did such compassion come from these husks that I intentionally created to be empty and listless? A stimulus has preempted my experiment.' He pondered and decided to enter the world he created as a human, bound by the same rules as other humans. He gave up his immortality and most of is powers and was born a human. He left an imprint of himself embedded into the crystal to protect it, letting life continue. He was raised by a simple family that was not wealthy or poor.'"

"Why the hell would he do this?" Riel set the book down pondered the text. "If all of this is true, than Enigma has to be Necron."

She was about to start reading again when another book off of the highest shelf dropped and hit her in the head. The blow knocked her out instantly.

Enigma stood on firm ground once again. He felt the gaping hole in his chest begin to heal and looked ahead. Before him was a marvel of nature that he would never forget. The Iifa tree had remained untouched for the past thousand years, as was the blessing of Dimitri and Kuja. Those two will meet in the afterlife, and will await him.

Enigma sighed and stepped forward. His long journey of the faith had brought him to the end of his life. He would finally regain all that had been lost. His life had dragged on for over 145,000 years and now came to its close.

The sword on his back belonged to Dimitri, who didn't have to die back there but there was no other way. Ragnorok was all he needed to bring this world crashing down on him, killing him in the process. This sword once belonged to him, but he parted ways with it because of its cruel power. He sealed in into and pedestal, but the power corrupted an innocent dog and turned it into the demon of legend known as Hashmal. Hashmal was slain by a blind Terran, named Vormav. Dimitri killed Vormav and took the sword and returned it to him a thousand years later.

Enigma respected everything around him but his work would exterminate all of it. He lingered on the path and came to the gargantuan trunk of the great tree. It was time.

Riel was drifting in darkness again. Her mind was floating through all of her thoughts endlessly. She stopped and saw her idol alive once again. His silver hair shone and his cloak waved to her.

"He got me good." Dimitri smiled. "I was waiting for it, but it shouldn't have been just then. It looks like you have your hands full, huh?"

"What is…?" Riel was confused.

"Your prolonged contact with me let some of my demonic soul pass over to you so it lets my spirit channel through you. You pretty much control my powers now, but that will also be a curse. My demon is also within your blood now so you must be careful."

"Gives schizophrenia a whole new meaning…" Riel smiled and laughed lightly. "Why me?"

"No other choice." Riel could tell Dimitri wasn't giving a straight answer. "You must go to the Iifa tree and confront Enigma."

"Is there something or somethings for that matter that you are not telling me?" Riel asked in a serious tone.

"There are many things I am not telling you. And that is how it is going to stay." Dimitri gave a hiding smile. "Why ruin things for later?"

"Whatever." Riel brushed off his comments. "Tell me about Enigma."

"There is not much I can honestly tell you. What I know, you know." Dimitri shrugged. "I was a student of sorts under him for a brief period. He preached of atonement and I listened intently. His words carried wisdom beyond any normal man of faith so I committed myself to learning."

"How good." Riel sensed she was being misled once again. "GIVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER GOD DAMN IT!!"

"Do you wish for my help or not?" Dimitri was unfazed by Riel's outburst.

"Yes…" Riel sighed.

"Then do not compromise the situation." Dimitri warned.

"Okay… then tell me what I should do." She tried to keep Dimitri on topic.

"Find an airship and go to the Outer Continent. He will be there at the trunk of the Iifa tree. Use your abilities to take Ragnorok from him. It is the only thing strong enough to harm the Iifa tree." Dimitri outlined the plan. "Then you will tap the Ragnorok's hidden power with my spirit. Use it to kill him at any cost. ANY cost."

"Got it." Riel nodded.

"One more thing." Dimitri turned and started walking back into the darkness. "You are only able to speak with me when unconscious. This should be the last time until after you rid the world of Enigma. See ya."

"Wait a damn…" Riel muttered as Dimitri faded and she woke up from being knocked out by the book. She looked at the book's title. "A Brief History of Human Afflictions? You son of bitch… I know he did that on purpose."

Riel picked herself up off the floor and dusted herself off. She put Sertei and Dimitri's sword on her left hip. It just felt right there now instead of her usual right side. She left the books lying on the floor and walked out of the library.

"In death we will see the light." Riel quoted from newly acquired memories from Dimitri's past. Their memories were infused and knew everything the other knew. "The blade falls just like the rain on our skin."

Riel glided through the castle to the docks. She came to the end of the line of ships and stopped in front of one that was covered up by several tarps tied together. She used a lightning quick storm of slashes and cut the covering away in clean strips. Her abilities were amplified by Dimitri's soul within hers as well.

Underneath the tarp was Cid's private ship that had been passed down through the royal bloodline for a thousand years. It was very fast and would be instrumental in getting to the Iifa tree on time. The other ships took about fourteen hours while this one would take minutes. Why Lindblum didn't try to replicate this technology was beyond her.

She stepped aboard and felt oddly at home in the ancient ship. Dimitri's memories started to click and told her how to run the ship and what resources were available. There were also mental blueprints of the whole ship available to her. She would use them to the full extent possible.

Riel made her way to the bridge where all of the controls were open for use. Even though the ship had not been used in centuries, there was no dust anywhere. Her hands lay on the panels as memories taught her how to operate the ship. Her flashbacks contained many of the people that were in the book she had cherished so much. So much for legend.

She hit a systematic sequence of buttons and felt the ship rise from its supports. She directed it out to the open air over the burning kingdom. She now felt less sympathy for the people; all of them had died and she didn't feel heartbroken, which was perhaps due to Dimitri's cold exterior seeping into her personality.

"I will return to rebuild…" Riel whispered to herself. She sat in the captain's chair and rested her head on one palm with her eyes closed. She gathered her focus and ironed out the doubts nestled in her psyche. Her moods and thoughts were being overrun by the moods and thoughts of the great warrior resting in her soul. This would be more than just a curse.

The incredibly fast ship came to a stop within a mile of the Iifa tree trunk. She marveled at its size and grandeur. Its roots were gathering souls from the planet, seeing as that one root alone was bigger than the ship she was in. Her gaze stopped on the ship that she knew as the Invincible.

_He is here. This will be his grave. _Riel cleared her mind. She set the ship down by Enigma's ship. She performed the last check before she left the ship. She had both swords and she took her jacket off. She cut the arms off a little above the elbows and removed the inner lining at the top. She let it hang down while still connected at the bottom of the jacket. Next, she cut the front off, leaving nothing to clasp. She put it back on. It was now a cloak, hanging down to her calves and open for drastic movement.

"Not bad." Riel swore that it was not her voice when she said it. She pulled her collar to its highest point, hiding most of her face from a profile view. She left the ship and trekked to the mass of roots before the trunk. She walked through the twitching roots and noticed that Enigma had cleared this path. The roots were beginning to blacken from some kind of poison.

Riel came to a spot that seemed to have naturally decayed over the years and looked down. There was an ancient lift system below her, and it was in motion. She gracefully fell into the hole and landed beside where the lift was humming. She tapped it slightly and it responded with a slight pinging noise.

"Good enough." Riel sensed Enigma was far below her. She stepped onto the lift and it took her down. The gravity was increasing and it was growing to the point of difficulty to breathe. The lift stopped miles from the surface and the gravity slowly returned. She dismounted the lift and breathed heavily.

She saw that the air was shimmering… a weird green color. The energy going around her in this massive underground area was pushing her down. She fell to her knees and tried to stand but found no way to do so. She grunted and was forced down even farther to the ground. Her face was pressed against the ground. The soil beneath her was very rich and provided nutrients for the Iifa tree.

"So good of you to come." Riel heard the deep bass tone of Enigma's voice resounding through the room. She felt him pick her off the ground. He held her about three feet all of the ground. He smiled and looked deeply into her eyes. "I thought you might have been Dimitri for a second there. But you are close enough now, aren't you? He is cradled gently in your soul."

"So?" Riel tried to withstand the pressure of the room. Enigma laughed and threw her to the ground. She used all of her strength and got to one knee.

"How is it that you can not stand here? Are you too burdened to let the souls around you flow without negative energy emanating from your mind?" Enigma put his arms out straight and spun slowly. He laughed demonically and sent shills down Riel's spine. "Are you her to bear witness to my judgment? These souls crave to live again, and I will let them. The millions dead in Lindblum will only give rise to even more dead. The souls will grow enraged and kill the living and possess them. This will exterminate billions, giving the Gods above enough reason to finally kill me."

"You are so fucking stupid." Riel wasn't speaking these words, even though it was her voice. "How about you just die right now at my blades?"

"Strong words. I will hold you to backing them up. You can have your chance any time." Enigma turned to her seriously. He unsheathed the Ragnorok from his back. He held the mighty sword in one hand and signaled for Riel to begin. "I wish to end this quickly."

Riel did not think she could beat him. She rose to her feet slowly and drew her two swords, one in each hand. She cleared her mind and felt the pressure loosening its grip on her. She breathed deeply and exhaled calmly.

"As do I." Riel charged at Enigma, who parried easily. She brought a flurry of strikes down on Enigma but he sidestepped each one. She wasn't able to hit him and it was maddening. She stepped up her pace and strength, but Enigma ceased to stop evading her. Riel started using scissor strikes but Enigma repelled them with Ragnorok.

"Dear girl… why are you wasting my time?" Enigma was way too fast to keep up with. "If this is all you have, leave."

"Fuck you." Riel kept attacking without remorse. Enigma grew bored and scored a glancing blow on her Sertei. The jagged edge blade shattered from the slight yet powerful strike. The shards of steel embedded themselves into her hand and arm. Blood immediately began to cover her arm.

"Are you not in pain?" Enigma deflected Dimitri's sword from her other hand and grabbed her injured arm. He used his thumb and pushed the steel deeper into the arm. "Does it make you feel alive?"

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!!" Riel tried to pull her blood covered arm away as he pushed the shards even deeper. The pain became unbearable and she resorted to a renegade style of fighting that Dimitri had once used. She let her legs slip into the air and she fell to her back. Enigma was taken by surprise as she twisted her own arm around, breaking the joint at her elbow loose. His eyes widened as she brought her whole body around and kicked him in the back of the head with every ounce of strength she could summon. His neck made an ugly snapping sound and the back of his skull cracked inward.

"Bastard." Riel pulled her limp arm free as Enigma let go and fell to the ground motionless. His neck was set at an unsettling angle. To think that she had actually done that. She took hold of her arm and forced it back into socket. It would be years before it would heal properly. There was no damage to the bones, but the joint would need some tending.

"Your quest for damnation has ended." Riel fell to the ground exhausted.

"…no… it has just begun… for both of us…" Enigma rasped and pushed himself off the ground. He propped his damaged body on Ragnorok so he could face her. She stood instantly and was about to finish him when a flash of energy blinded her. When the glare was gone, she saw Enigma standing full height, with no damage whatsoever. "As you can see, I can harness the souls around me and use them how I please. I implore you to try again, this time with one blow. Any thing else will give me time to absorb more souls."

"Son of a…" Riel picked Dimitri's sword up and held it at the ready. "Bring it."

"I'd be happy to." Enigma flashed from her visibility. He grabbed her from behind by the throat. "My speed is unmatchable."

Riel twisted around, leaving a deep bruise on her neck. She slashed deeply into his chest but it simply healed and he grabbed her again. She struggled against his strength and wrenched free. She tried to score hits but he was too fast.

"I would like to see you tap your reserves. I know there is so much power locked away in your blood, and not just Dimitri's. I don't think you know what you are." Enigma smiled and dodged Riel's attacks. As her swing came down, he caught the blade against the tip of his finger. A drop of blood squeezed from his finger but it healed instantly. "My eyes detect hidden secrets in your body."

"Shut up." Riel used the tip of her sword as leverage and brought her body over the sword. She rose over Enigma with only her sword holding her. She clapped her heels onto his temples and they both fell to the ground. "You talk way too much."

Riel didn't kill him, but the blow had knocked him unconscious. Now it would be easier to kill him in one attack. She looked down at him in disgust. She was about to crush his skull with her heel, when she thought about what he was saying. Something about secrets and blood?

In her moment of hesitation, Enigma stood swiftly and looked over her.

"You are giving it some thought?" Enigma asked curiously. "I didn't think you could knock me out, even for half a second. What I said is true. You are of different blood…if you haven't already noticed."

"What do you mean?" Riel knew she couldn't attempt to strike at the moment.

"Your family has always been rather prominent in the field of war. Famous warriors and generals and all… Did it not seem weird to you? You were amazingly gifted at a very young age; the only thing that hindered you was your famous yet vile father. That could have psychological repercussions." Enigma remained motionless. "Do you remember learning of the fall of Alexandria? 500 years ago? Well, when Lindblum defeated Alexandria, the king had a son who he hid from all records. No one knew this boy existed. He was hidden among the people of Lindblum with all of the financial backing he would need, even guardianship. He passed his bloodline down all the way down to your father, then to you."

"So that means, I am a descendant of the last king of Alexandria?" Riel pieced together the story.

"Not just the last king, but every ruler of Alexandria. All the way up to a certain queen exactly 1,000 years ago. You are a descendant of Queen Garnet 'the divine grace' til Alexandroth the 16th." Enigma smiled warmly. "Three guesses as to who gave Garnet her only daughter."

"I… was… born from Dimitri's bloodline?!" Riel dropped her sword. Enigma grabbed her arms as support before she fell. He kept her standing. Her breaths were heavy and she felt faint.

"You are of Terran blood." Enigma followed up. He let go of her and she fell to her knees. He turned away and thought of an idea. "I know that you can only converse with Dimitri when you are unconscious so I will let you have time to figure everything out."

He raised his hand and hit Riel quickly in the forehead, sending her to the ground, knocked out.

"Come back and fight when you are ready." Enigma slung Ragnorok over his shoulders.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME??!!" Riel screamed into the pitch black air as Dimitri stood across from her.

"I didn't think it was important." Dimitri smiled innocently. He was actually enjoying this. Riel walked through the darkness and stood in front of him.

"You bastard!!" She slapped him. He looked at her as if it was a pathetic hit. She glared at him and hit him again. He still remained unfazed. "Were you going to keep it hidden?"

"I might have. It would have depended on if you survived against Enigma. To be honest, I thought you would have died before now." Dimitri laughed as Riel grew even angrier. "Besides, my blood is spiked with guilt. I would have wished that I would never have passed it on, but I promised Garnet an heir to the kingdom and she wouldn't take any other man to conceive a child."

"I don't give a damn! My hero turns out to be my ancestor…" Riel looked at her feet in darkness. "Not even a playwright would write this shitty story."

"At least there is a good looking guy in it." Dimitri stroked his chin and raised his eyebrows in a sort of pose.

"Get a grip idiot. You seem so much different from when you were alive. Why?" Riel examined his demeanor.

"Death is but a gateway and I have passed through it. I have been enlightened from my shame. Also, I don't bear my demon, you do." Dimitri didn't stop smiling. "All of my curses have been lifted from my soul… and been placed into yours. Sorry."

"Whatever." Riel blew his words out the other ear. "Maybe you should just depart my soul so I can die when Enigma expects a fight. That way my shame will be gone too."

"Not happening." Dimitri said seriously. "If Enigma wins, we lose. Simple. Clichéd, but simple."

"What should I do?" She sighed loudly. Dimitri returned to his carefree attitude.

"Just call upon the demon inside you. It will definitely know what to do." Dimitri winked as he began to fade away. "See you later."

Riel shook from her stupor and looked around. She regained her grasp of reality and recognized her surroundings. Enigma sat in the soft soil below the roots of the Iifa tree about twenty feet in front of her. She righted herself and Enigma opened his now docile eyes.

"All sorted out?" Enigma pondered. Riel picked up the sword on the ground by her feet.

"Why not?" She swung the sword a couple times. "Tell me, Enigma. Is that your real name?"

"No. My real name is sealed away in my own mind because I have forbidden myself to know it, but you already know who I am." Enigma conjured souls around his face. "I have been hiding too long. My real face is an enigma."

The souls washed away his face to reveal a blank slate. There were no features, just as the book had said.

"Then you really are Necron." Riel said with a stern face.

"I am." He admitted. "You are my last hope to stop me. Do not let me down."

Their battle began in a flash. They were striking in storms and letting all of their energy flow free. Nothing could stop either of them from achieving their goal except each other. Unbridled disaster was imminent.

Necron hurled himself into Riel but she shuffled out of his way and tripped him. He recovered easily and swiped sideways at her with the Ragnorok. She ducked under the blade and backed away.

"I am glad to see you are not having trouble with me." Necron smiled as he kept charging her. Every attempt was rejected by her fast movements. Necron's intrigue grew steadily and he began to exert more force on Riel, who in turn added more strength. "I want to see your lineage surface. Show me something grand. Something a god could never harness."

Necron stunted her and kicked her to the ground, showing power and grace efficiently. He draped Ragnorok on his back and went to work bare-handed; landing countless blows on Riel's strong but delicate body.

"I only wish to meet death. GRANT MY WISH!!" Necron screamed uncontrollably as Riel coughed up blood and cleared her hazed eyes. "Why are you waiting?!"

Riel's eyes glazed over and crimson tints began to seep through. Necron threw his head back and laughed.

"It is time!! I know you are watching Dimitri!! Watch as your blood mixes with mine!!" Necron grabbed Riel and tossed her yards away from him.

Riel felt the demon skulking into her mind. _Do what you must._

_**I will. Please do not worry… I do know what I am doing. And if you don't mind, I do wish to be in complete control.**_

_If that is what it takes. _Riel submitted to the dark entity. Her sense of reality bent and twisted into a phantasm of incomprehensible shapes. All that she could do now was watch and hope.

**"Do you know Death well? Let me help you get acquainted." **Riel felt the demon surge forward in her body and impale Necron on Dimitri's sword.

"I have found it." Necron said with sorrow in his voice. Blood drained down the sword sticking out of his body. The bleeding slowly stopped and the sword was repelled from his body. His wound was healed and he waved his arm slowly toward Riel. She was forced back and dropped her sword. "I know that I will fall to you, but not yet."

The demon grew angry and jumped across the room. Riel landed on him and began fiercely beating him down, drawing upon an endless source of energy. Necron did not resist, but the onslaught had no effect.

"STOP HOLDING BACK!!" Necron head butt her and she rolled over onto the ground. He stood and brought the Ragnorok to bear. He charged his aura into the great weapon and let the backwash whip the air around him. "I will kill every living person unless you can stop me!"

Riel felt the soil against her bloody body. Her head was split slightly, her arm useless because of shards of steel, and she was bleeding severely internally. Her body would probably never recover, but why worry about recovery when she was about to die.

_Demon…please… _Riel beckoned the demon, knowing that it was purposefully not fighting full strength.

_**Your body could not withstand a complete possession. **_The demon cackled.

_I don't give a damn. DO IT!! _Riel commanded the dark presence.

Necron was about to drive Ragnorok into the ground full force but a blur dove into view. His swing was topped at his eye level. The blur stopped moving and he saw an arm stretching up to the emanating sword. Riel stood in front of him and held the sword up with one finger.

"I learned that from you." Riel had merged with the demon just as Dimitri had done in his battles centuries ago. She smiled as Necron's mouth hung open. "Let me help you with that."

Riel drove a calm and silencing uppercut into his hanging jaw. It was driven up and shattered on impact into his head. The blade dropped and ceased to glow. Necron backed away and grasped his jaw. It healed quickly but Riel was only toying with him with that blow.

"I didn't …" Necron searched for words to describe her strength and speed.

"What? You brought this upon yourself." Riel laughed and picked up Ragnorok. She sent so much energy through the ancient weapon that it cracked down the center. It split in half and started falling to the ground. "Catch."

In midair, she kicked the two fragments into his chest and abdomen. He lost his breath and clutched at the broken blades. She flashed into action before he could heal and brought Dimitri's sword around. She had finished him the same way he had finished Dimitri. She let the body of the rogue god fall to the soil. In her hand was Dimitri's sword, and in the other, she held his featureless head.

"You got what you fucking wished for." Riel sheathed the sword and flung his head against the wall of the chamber. She sighed and pushed the demon from her mind. After she did, she collapsed in exhaustion. She let herself drift into darkness as her job had been done. She could have sworn that she saw Dimitri standing over her as she finally succumbed to inevitability.

Over 100,000 years later…

"Did you ever wish to be a hero?" A teacher asked his class that contained adolescents. "Do any of you know a true hero?"

"I do." A raven haired girl raised her hand. She was his favorite student, a girl who had come from an unknown place but was wise beyond her years. "The man of Forsaken Flawlessness."

"Very good. His name was Dimitri, as you already know. This book," The teacher grabbed a decrepit book from his desk and held it up for his whole class to see. "Is the oldest known piece of literature on the planet. There are only five copies left in the world. I happen to have one because I stumbled upon it many years ago and never let go."

"The only thing able to stop this hero, was a rogue god." The teacher smiled and flipped a couple of pages. "That god was the being who controls everything. Sadly, that god was thrown into the deepest of hells for his treachery to the planet. We have been worshipping a damned deity for over 100,000 years. There are skeptics to this theory, but it has not been disproved."

"But the only ones who would know the real facts are Dimitri and Necron." The raven haired girl stated.

"Not true." The teacher accepted the girl's underlying challenge. "There is one other person who knew of all this. A woman who had descended from Dimitri's genetic line. She was the one who killed Necron. None believe this theory, but once again, not disproved."

The teacher noticed disbelief in the eyes of every student except the girl with blacker than black hair. Her expression echoed with complete agreement. She knew what had happened.

The teacher sat down at his desk and placed the book in front of him.

"You are all dismissed. See you tomorrow." The teacher waved his class good bye and lay his head down. He felt a tapping on his shoulder and he looked up. His silver hair hung in his eyes, obscuring his vision.

"Well taught, sir." He recognized the voice as the girl who constantly challenged him. "Were you speaking from 'personal experience?'"

"You are just like you mother." The teacher brushed his hair out of the way. He rubbed his neck where a very large scar was covered by his shirt. "When you go home, please tell her I said hello."

"She told me to bring you with me." She smiled and grabbed his hand. She led him out of the room while he grabbed the book on his desk. They left the school building and went toward a lone house on a ridge away from the school.

The teacher looked around and knew where he was. This was his beloved kingdom. It had been wiped from the pages of history for 500 years over 100,000 years ago, but it had resurfaced after many years and a little good influence. He loved this kingdom of Alexandria.

"We're here." The two arrived at the steps of the lone house. A gorgeous looking woman opened the door.

"Well well. How lovely to see you again." She smiled and invited them in. "Garnet, will you please go do your chores? I would like to talk to our old friend."

Her adopted daughter went upstairs and left the two alone.

"How has time been treating you?" The teacher sat down at the table across from the woman he had known a long time.

"Rather well." She laughed. "And you?"

"Same same." The teacher handed her the book he had used in class. "Thanks for letting me use it, even though it is almost all wrong."

"Why do you sell yourself short, Dimitri?" The woman asked after setting the book aside. "Everything in this book is right about you and what you have done."

"Riel, I know that, but the times have definitely changed and I am no longer needed. That is why we hide, isn't it?" Dimitri looked into his descendants eyes. "We were granted immortality for our services to the planet, and yet I didn't want it. Now I am a teacher, so I can teach the people of this time not to repeat their foolish mistakes."

"Is that why you are hailed as the new God? There are churches in every country praying to you. You are a beacon of hope. When people rush into battle, they call out your name." Riel asked flatly. "You need to lead these people. They worship you and have no idea you still exist and will continue to exist as everyone dies."

"We have this conversation every time we see each other. What makes you think I will change my mind?" Dimitri got up and went to the closet across the room that was locked. He broke the lock and pulled out a certain black tattered cloak. He removed his shirt and donned his ancient cloak. "But these times are wearing away… and the world needs me again, whether I like it or not. But, I will not do this alone. You will be with me, Riel."

"Fine." Riel pulled her old cloak from the closet and put it on. "Just like old times…"

Dimitri smiled and pulled the last thing out of the closet. The blade had not rusted or worn away at all. This sword had taken the lives of the greatest of warriors, and now, he put it on his waist.

"For Servitude." Dimitri nodded to Riel.

"For Servitude." Riel repeated. The two fabled warriors walked from the house and rained benevolence upon the people of Gaia. Prosperity knew no end while Dimitri reigned with Riel at his side. They ruled kindly over Gaia for the rest of eternity, never faltering.

The book 'To Forsake Flawlessness' became holy scripture written in many tongues and passed down by word of mouth. Some question how these two immortals really came to be, but only a select few knew. The holy books they read contained the tales of the legendary Gods.

Who wrote the book? The name has been lost to the sands of time. All anyone knows is that whoever it was, also wrote these accounts of Dimitri the Great and Riel the Innocent.


End file.
